Australia to bring back 8 children from ISIS families in Syria

Eight Australian offspring of two slain Islamic State militant group fighters have been removed from Syria in Australia’s first organized repatriation from the conflict zone, Australia’s prime minister said Monday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the eight children being repatriated were in the care of Australian government officials. He would not identify the children or say when they would reach Australia.

Aged between two and 18, those rescued include the three surviving children of Islamic State fighter Kahled Sharrouf and three children of IS fighter Yasin Rizvic, from Melbourne. Both men and their wives died in the conflict zone.

“The opportunity now is for these young children who are coming back to Australia, they can’t be held responsible for the crimes of their parents,” Morrison told reporters.

The children would be provided with support services so that “they can fully integrate into a happy life in Australia,” Morrison said.

“They’ve got off to a horrible start in life as a result of the appalling decisions of their parents, and they’ll find their home in Australia, and I’m sure they’ll be embraced by Australians and as a result of that embrace, I’m sure they’ll live positive and happy lives,” Morrison added.

Sharrouf’s Sydney-based mother-in-law Karen Nettleton has launched several attempts to rescue the children from Syria and has led the campaign for Australian government intervention.

Her lawyer, Robert Van Aalst, said he hoped Nettleton was with the children in Iraq, but had no direct communication with her due to security concerns.

The eldest child, Zaynab, turned 18 last week and has been expecting her third child. Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported she’d yet to give birth.

Zaynab would return to Australia with the newborn, her two children — Ayesha, 3, and Fatima, 2 — her 16-year-old sister Hoda, and her 8-year-old brother, Humzeh.

Belgium, Germany and the United States have made similar moves to take back small numbers of orphaned children in Syrian camps, though security concerns have deterred other governments, from doing so.